Under the title ‘Colonial Bandits’ our comrade
Victor Meric has told us of the incredible cruelty of a
French administrator in the colonies who poured molten
rubber into the genitals of an unfortunate Negress. After
which, he made her carry a huge stone on her head in the
blazing sun, until she died.

This sadistic official is now continuing his exploits in
another district, still with the same rank.

Unfortunately, such odious deeds are not rare in what
the good press calls ‘overseas France’.

In March 1922, a customs-house officer at Baria
(Cochin-China) all but sent an Annamese woman salt
carrier to her death because she had disturbed his siesta by
making a noise outside the verandah of his house.

The best of it is that this woman was threatened with
the sack from the construction yard she was working on if
she lodged a complaint.

In April, another customs-house officer who took the
place of the above-mentioned official, proved to be worthy
of his predecessor for his brutalities.

An old Annamese woman, also a salt carrier, had an
argument with a woman overseer regarding the stoppage of
part of her wages. On hearing the overseer’s complaint, the
officer, without more ado, took it upon himself to give the
carrier two stinging slaps in the face. While the poor woman
was stooping to pick up her hat, the civilizer, not satisfied
with the slaps he had just given her, furiously kicked her
in the lower abdomen, immediately provoking a great flow
of blood.

When the unfortunate Annamese fell to the ground M.
Sarraut’s collaborator, instead of succouring her, called for
the village mayor to carry her away. This worthy refused.
Then the officer called in the victim’s husband, who was
blind, and ordered him to take his wife away. The poor old
woman is now in hospital.

It’s odds on that, like their colleague the administrator
in Africa, our two customs-house officers were not worried.
They might even have received promotion.